Bulletin-holder.



J. G. STEVENS. BULLETIN HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1911.

1,007,988. Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

1i F v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. STEVENS,-OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BULLETIN-HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, JOHN G. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bulletin-Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to bulletin holders and has for its object to provide an extremely simple and eflicient device whereby the bulletin sheet may be easily and quickly arranged in position and securely held so that the reading matter thereof is exposed to view and can be easily read.

A further object of the invention is to provide a holder of the above character con sisting of a base board, upper and lower holding members arranged upon said board and yieldingly connected, and means fixed in the board to be engaged by said lower holding member.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a base board upon which the bulletin sheet or other reading matter is adapted to be arranged, an upper holding member pivotally mounted on said board, a lower holding member, resilient connections between said lower holding member and the upper member, and means fixed in the board to be engaged by said lower holding member whereby the upper member is yieldingly held against pivotal movement.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holding device embodying my improvements; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 designates the base board of the holder to the opposite longitudinal edges and the bottom edge of which the strips 6 are secured. These strips project beyond the plane of one face of the base board 5 and provide flanges 7 thereon between which the bulletin sheet or other paper which is to be held, is adapted to be arranged. The strips 6 are prefer ably tapered at their secured longitudinal edges so that the body of the holder will present a neat appearance. In the upper edge of the base board 5, an eye 8 is fixed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 3, 1911.

Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

Serial No. 624,819.

by means of which the holder may be hung up or suspended.

The upper edge of the board 5 between the longitudinal strips 6 is slightly beveled or reduced in thickness as indicated at 9, and in this reduced upper end of the board at points adjacent the side strips 6, the eyes 10 are secured. These eyes are adapted to receive the inwardly extending ends 12 of a substantially U-shaped wire holding member 11. The lower holding member 13 consists of a single wire rod having an eye 14 formed upon each of its ends. To these eyes and to the upper holding member 11 adjacent to the parallel end portions thereof, the opposite ends of the coiled springs 15 are connected. These springs normally act to draw the lower holding member 13 toward the upper pivoted member. To the base board 5 at the upper and lower ends thereof and adjacent its opposite edges the pins or spurs 16 and 17 are secured, said pins projecting outwardly from the face of the board. It will also be observed that the lower pins 17 are downwardly inclined. These pins are adapted to be received in the eyes 14 on the ends of the holding member 13. The upper pins 16 are located between the opposite ends of the pivoted member 11.

In the practical operation of the device, the pivoted member 11 is thrown back to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, the lower member 13 being held in the hand of the operator or disposed upon the upper edge of the board. The bulletin or other sheet is now placed upon the board, the upper and lower pins 16 and 17 projecting'therethrough. After properly disposing the sheet between the flanges 7 at the edges of the board, the upper member 11 is lowered upon the upper edge of the bulletin sheet. The member 13 is now drawn downwardly against the tension of the springs 15, and the eyes on the ends of said member are engaged over the lower downwardly inclined pins 17, said member engaging closely upon the lower edge of the bulletin sheet. It will thus be seen that the springs 15 act to retain the holding members in their proper positions and prevent any movement of the sheet, said springs also retaining the members in position after a large number of the bulletin sheets have been arranged upon the board. In this manner it will be seen that the bulletin sheets may be easily and quickly arranged in position, and are se eurely held against being blown from the board by gusts of wind.

Vhile my improved holder is primarily adapted for retaining bulletins of that character which display current news to the public, and which are usually arranged outside of the building, the device is also designed for use for holding notices and printed rules such as are commonly seen in colleges or other large institutions. In such instances, the coiled springs 15 may be dispensed with and heavy elastic bands substituted in lieu thereof. For outside use the coiled springs are deemed preferable, owing to the fact that they are better able to endure atmospheric changes.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and manner of use of my improved holding device will be readily understood.

The holder is extremely simple, highly durable in use and extremely efficient for the purpose in View.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the device is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A holder of the character described comprising a base, an upper holding member pivotally mounted upon said base, sheet retaining means fixed in the base, a lower holding member having means formed thereon to engage said sheet retaining means, and a plurality of resilient connections between said lower holding member and the upper pivoted member to yieldingly hold said members in engagement with the sheet.

2. A holding device of the character described comprising a base, a substantially U-shaped holding member pivotally mounted at its ends upon said base, a second holding member having eyes formed thereon, springs connected to said eyes and to said U-shaped member, and downwardly inclined sheet retaining pins fixed in said base to be engaged by the eyes on said lower holding member, said springs retaining the holding members yieldingly in engagement with the sheet.

3. A holder of the character described comprising a base having side and bottom flanges, upper and lower sheet retaining pins fixed in said base, a U-shaped rod pivotally mounted upon the upper end of said base adjacent to the opposite sides thereof and being adapted to engage over the upper retaining pins upon the sheet arranged on said base, a lower holding rod having an eye formed on each end, said lower retaining pins being downwardly inclined to be received in said eyes, and coiled springs connected to said eyes and to opposite ends of said upper U-shaped rod to yieldingly hold said rod upon the sheet.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. STEVENS. Witnesses:

M. C. LYDDANE, E. L. WHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C. 

